I am obsessed with the idea of traveling to Morocco one day.
The colorful cityscapes, the souks with piles of spices and handcrafted items, the zelig tile studded riads with lush courtyards, and the sumptuous food with a glass of mint tea on the side — what's not to love about the idea of traveling the major Moroccan cities? With international travel out of the question for probably at least another year (for us anyways if not for most everyone), there's only so much I can do to get a dose of Moroccan culture here and now. And my favorite way, of course, is through food.
Since the flavors of North African cuisine weren't familiar to me, I started learning about them through blogs and websites, and saw a lot of preserved lemons. They are exactly what they sound like, lemons, but that won't go bad. It's a flavor that is both familiar, but different enough to be "new" and "exotic" to those unfamiliar with preserved lemons. I've shared a few preserved lemon using recipes here before, which goes to show you that once you try something you can incorporate them into your life too. So now I almost always have a jar of preserved lemons at the ready around here. But not too big of a jar, I'm the only one eating them generally.
Small Batch Preserved Lemons
Equipment
- 1 pint sized mason jar with tight fitting lid
Ingredients
- 4 lemons
- 6 tablespoons kosher salt
- lemon juice
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and scrub the lemons. Pat dry.
- Slice the nubs from two lemons. Using a sharp knife, slice ¾ of the way through one lemon lengthwise, then rotate the lemon and cut perpendicular to the first cut, making a cross. You want the lemon fully attached at one end. Do the same thing to one more lemon
- Over a large bowl or plate, fill each lemon with 3 tablespoons of salt, using your fingers to help jam the salt into the flesh where you made the cuts.
- Put the salted lemons in the mason jar. Mash them in a little as needed. Pour any remaining salt from the bowl or plate into the lemon jar.
- Juice the other two lemons and add that juice to the jar. Use additional lemon juice (fresh squeezed or otherwise) to cover the remainder of the lemons.
- Put the lid on tightly and store in a cool, dark cabinet for 30 days. I put mine somewhere I will open semi-frequently, so I will remember to turn it over at least every few days. Refrigerate after opening and use within 1 year.
While these lemons won't get me to Morocco for a little while yet, they are a reminder of a whole wider world out there. Preserved lemons are just a small part of a food culture that makes up Morocco and North Africa, and while I am biding my time waiting for the opportunity to go, I'll continue to enjoy learning more and more about it!
Preserved Lemon Recipes
